Reclaiming Inner Wisdom: Tarot as a Feminist Tool for Growth
When I first wrote about using tarot in my therapy practice, I had no idea it would strike such a chord.
Spoiler alert: It did. To this day, that first blog post remains the most visited page on my website. And more often than not, women find my therapy practice by googling terms like “therapy and tarot” or “spiritual therapist.”
I suppose it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. We’re living through a time of intense upheaval and reckoning. More and more women are awakening—longing for a deeper connection with themselves and something greater: spirit, divinity, source, the universe.
Developing a therapeutic tarot practice isn’t necessarily about divination—though some may travel that path. More often, it’s about working with imagery and symbolic stories to bypass the intellect and access our own inner knowing.
I’ve had a tarot practice since I was thirteen. My mom bought me my first Rider-Waite deck from a bookstore in Phoenix, Arizona. She was hesitant—not fully understanding what the cards were about—but I had a budding interest in spiritual practices and all things esoteric. The idea of a symbolic language grounded in art and intuition resonated deeply, even if tween-age Jessika couldn’t articulate it.
I imagine it went something like: “Mom, they’re cool. Can you just buy them for me?”
Flash forward 30-some years, and I still have my tarot practice, though it’s evolved over time. Today, I’m a feminist psychotherapist and expressive arts therapist who weaves tarot and other psychospiritual tools into my work.
I primarily support women who’ve hustled to build meaningful lives—only to find themselves craving a deeper relationship with themselves and the world around them. Many are asking big questions about purpose, identity, and meaning, especially in a culture that asks women to suppress our wildness and over-rely on logic to succeed.
For me, integrating tarot into healing work has always made sense. In fact, it’s a natural pairing.
Want to know more? Let’s get into it.
Tarot as a Mirror, Not a Map
First, let’s get this out of the way: tarot doesn’t tell you what to do. The cards can reflect what’s already happening within you. Think of it as a mirror rather than a map. The images and symbols of the cards invite us to pause, tune in, and explore the emotional, psychological, and spiritual patterns that may be guiding our decisions—often beneath the surface of conscious awareness. It’s not unlike looking at a striking piece of art or reading powerful poetry. Each of us will have our own associations and our own meanings.
For women who’ve been socialized to prioritize others’ needs, defer to external authority, or silence their intuition, tarot can be a radical act of self-inquiry. When you sit with the cards, you’re not asking for answers “out there”—you’re learning to listen to the wisdom already inside you. How powerful is that?
Honoring Cycles & Intuition
Tarot is deeply attuned to cycles, archetypes, and transformation, concept that women are often drawn to but have difficulty embodying. The cards speak to the ebbs and flows of life: beginnings and endings, light and shadow, death and rebirth. This cyclical understanding mirrors the rhythms of our bodies, emotions, and spiritual lives.
In perimenopause and midlife or any life transition really, when so many women feel unmoored or invisible, tarot offers validation and visibility. The High Priestess reminds us to trust our intuition. The Empress honors our capacity for creation in all its forms—not just motherhood, but art, relationships, ideas, and self-reinvention. The Death card, often feared, speaks of necessary endings that clear space for growth.
By engaging with these archetypes, we reframe what society often pathologizes: mood shifts become messages. Transitions become thresholds. Aging becomes initiation.
A Practice of Reflection not Prediction
Anyone can work with tarot. You don’t need to identify as “woo” or have psychic abilities—though there’s space for that too. While many of my clients consider themselves spiritual seekers, just as many are grounded, pragmatic women—professionals, caregivers, creatives—who also crave a deeper spiritual connection and a more nuanced understanding of themselves.
One of the most powerful ways to engage with the cards is through journaling, meditation, or meaningful conversation. A daily or weekly single-card pull can serve as a gentle touchstone for reflection. What energy am I moving through today? What part of me needs attention? What truth am I resisting—or ready to embrace?
This kind of reflective practice cultivates emotional literacy and strengthens the inner voice so many women have been taught to mistrust. Over time, tarot becomes a steady companion—helping you move from self-doubt to self-trust, from overwhelm to insight, from uncertainty to grounded clarity.
Reclaiming Spiritual Agency
For many women, especially those who have felt alienated by patriarchal or rigid spiritual systems (ahem, religious trauma), tarot can be a way to reconnect with a sense of the sacred on their own terms. It encourages direct, embodied, and intuitive connection with the divine—whatever that means to you.
You might light a candle, create a simple altar, or incorporate tarot into moon rituals or seasonal observances. You might draw cards as part of your morning routine or use them to process a difficult experience. There are no rules. What matters is that you define the meaning and method.
This is especially powerful for women in midlife, who are often seeking spiritual practices that honor complexity, depth, and autonomy. Tarot doesn’t require belief in any specific doctrine—it simply invites you to be in dialogue with your own soul.
Using Tarot in Therapy and Healing Work
Many therapists, coaches, and healing practitioners are now integrating tarot into their work—not as a predictive tool, but as a way to explore narrative, symbolism, and metaphor. Tarot can externalize inner conflicts, uncover subconscious patterns, and offer new perspectives. It’s particularly useful for women navigating identity shifts, grief, or creative blocks.
Even if you’re not working with a practitioner, you can use tarot as a self-guided tool. Spreads like “What am I being invited to release?” or “What wants to emerge in this next chapter?” can help illuminate your path. You might also use the cards to support decision-making by asking, “What is the energy of this choice?” or “What does my wisest self want me to know?”
Final thoughts: A Pathway back to yourself
Tarot is a practice of inquiry, reflection, and reverence—a way of honoring your own wisdom in a world that often tells women not to trust themselves, to look elsewhere.
If you’re curious, start small. Pull a card. Sit with it. Ask what it’s showing you—not what it means, but what it means to you.
If you’re curious how tarot can support your healing journey, download my free one-page guide “6 Reflective Tarot Prompts for Self-Inquiry.” It’s designed to help you deepen into intuition, clarity, and self-trust—no predictive skills required. You’ll also get gentle notes from me about therapy, tarot, and midlife magic.
👉 Get the Free Guide
And if you’re more of a visual learner, follow along on IG @thatfeministherapist, where I share weekly therapeutic tarot insights.
Till Next Time Wishing You Health & Ease,
Jessika
Support for women’s healing, growth + Wellness in New Orleans and San Francisco
A little about me …
Hi, my name is Jessika Fruchter LMFT and I’m a feminist psychotherapist, expressive arts therapist, writer and educator. I provide online holistic psychotherapy for women in California and Louisiana who are navigating the perimenopause transition and all things midlife. Together we tend to matters of the mind, body and spirit.
I believe personal healing is a revolutionary act. I say it often. And in these (continued) turbulent times, I believe it now more than ever.
If you think spiritually-integrated therapy might be right for you, and you live in the states of Louisiana or California, I’m here to support. Here are a couple of steps to move forward …
Schedule a free initial consultation here
Of if you have questions … Let's chat.I’m happy to answer any questions you have.
Also please know there are directories where you may seek out other feminist therapists in your area. Inclusive Therapist and Therapy Den are two great places to start.
